"Wot 'ave the Romans"... etc., Part XVIII

[oldbrownhat]

Aside from making mysterious dodecahedrons, that is.

Article here.

(And no, it's not The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch )

Since 1739, some 130 of these objects [varying in size from about 2" to 4" like this one] have been discovered across Northern and Western Europe. While archaeologists have dated the relics to Roman times, they have been baffled by the objects for centuries, with no consensus ever emerging on what they were for. There is no known written description of them in ancient texts; nor do any pictorial references exist...

...Proponents of this theory [religious or ritual object] also point to the intricacy of the object itself, suggesting it probably had special value. According to Hitchens, the relic was made using a lost-wax bronze-casting process, an extremely technical feat — made even more challenging by the fact that the final product was hollow. “It’s a difficult shape to work with. You have to be really at the top of your game to make one of these,” she said...

 

[lihpster]

Fidget spinners. You could get them at VII XI.

 

[notsofast]

You have to ask yourself why
OR
I’m not saying it’s aliens but it’s aliens

 

[s&wchad]

It's an armourers tool for gauging sling projectiles. The big ones are suitable for lions and tigers and bears.

 

[ACORN]

It's an armourers tool for gauging sling projectiles. The big ones are suitable for lions and tigers and bears.

What size for zombies?

 

[moosedog]

I've seen those talked about before. There is so much yet to be learned from history.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I think they are prototype Dungeons and Dragons dice! For the Neolithic Nerds. They fell out of favor when Martin Luther got the sale of indulgences suspended.

Ivan

 

[soFlaNative]

Ancient form of entertainment which combined bocce, cornhole and Jarts. Lost to history due to dads finding them laying around in the dark with their open toed sandals.

 

[NYlakesider]

Its something to amuse your cat. You put it on the table and they in turn knock it off. Repeat as often as the cat will let you!

 

[dockmurgw]

Modern art of the time...owning one was a status symbol. That or a very interesting ball for a lawn game like croquet.

 

[DWalt]

I have read about these, and indeed there is no consensus of opinion about their purpose. The fact that there are 12 faces and each face has a hole of a different diameter indicates to me that it was likely to have been a measurement instrument or gauge, exact application unknown.

 

[16thVACav]

I have read about these, and indeed there is no consensus of opinion about their purpose. The fact that there are 12 faces and each face has a hole of a different diameter indicates to me that it was likely to have been a measurement instrument or gauge, exact application unknown.

It's a gauge for cooking spaghetti, for one up to twelve servings.

 

[oldbrownhat]

I have read about these, and indeed there is no consensus of opinion about their purpose. The fact that there are 12 faces and each face has a hole of a different diameter indicates to me that it was likely to have been a measurement instrument or gauge, exact application unknown.

Except that they're all different diameters, from about 2" to 4". Not durable enough for a tool (or cat toy - nice try, NY Lakesider ) The total absence of any written or graphic description lends some weight to the suggestion that they may have had some secret religious or ritualistic function that forbade documentation. Possibly some connection with druidic rituals? What might be the significance of the number 12? A 12-sided object could be thought to be able to "see" in all directions.

 

[RobertJ.]

The answers found in this thread are a prime example of why I come here every day!

 

[T112-4]

I have a dodecahedron made of metal. That is a old time gambling dice type game I think. Has a O and a Star and P or T with a number on different sides. I think this how it worked. Players ante a number of chips roll this "dice". P or T comes up with a number on it you put or take that amount from pot. Star comes up you win the pot. O comes up you double the pot. When you role it one side always is up.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I think they are prototype Dungeons and Dragons dice! For the Neolithic Nerds. They fell out of favor when Martin Luther got the sale of indulgences suspended.

Ivan

My first thought. You beat me to it.

 

[oldbrownhat]

I think they are prototype Dungeons and Dragons dice! For the Neolithic Nerds. They fell out of favor when Martin Luther got the sale of indulgences suspended.

Ivan

Plus, they were really hard to nail to a church door.

I suppose they could be non-working prototypes (or however you say "proof of concept model" in Latin) for The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch... But I'll admit it's a stretch...

 

[Imissedagain]

Gladiator Pickleball?

 

[Imissedagain]

What size for zombies?

With zombies, size doesn't matter, it's shot placement.

 

[LVSteve]

I've seen those talked about before. There is so much yet to be learned from history.

Except so much has been forgotten. It took years of diligent research and experimentation to discover how the Incas produced a certain shade of blue. We still don't know how the ancients got copper weapons to hold an edge, but apparently they did. The formula for Greek Fire is also AWOL.

It's not just stuff from antiquity that gets forgotten. Back in the early '80s at my first job a coworker was having trouble with our prototype engineering department. There was an intense debate with them about what was possible. My coworker took an "artifact" down to them and said, "Have a look at this and give me an estimate on when you can produce a copy."

Three weeks later the engineering department got back to him and said, "Sorry, no can do. We have no clue how to make this."

(...and now the punchline, drumroll please....)

My coworker replied, "Really? That's odd, your area built that item for us in 1963."

I understand the phone line went a little quiet.